Opposition parties to hold rally in Francistown

EDWARD BULE
Correspondent | Friday May 20, 2011 00:00

 

Opposition parties to take part in this rally are namely; Botswana National Front, Botswana Peoples' Party, Botswana Movement for Democracy and Botswana Congress Party.  The newfound camaraderie between opposition parties and the unions is expected to attract members of the public to the meeting in droves.

'We are expecting a lot of people at the rally,' said a confident Shadreck Nyeku. Nyeku, who sits on the committee that is organising the weekend rally, is the BMD chairman for the Francistown region.  He says that none of the usual freedom squares in Francistown can accommodate the number of people expected at the rally, hence the choice of Chedu Choga, which has been the meeting ground for the hundreds of striking government employees in the past weeks.

Last weekend, the BNF, BMD and BCP held a joint rally in Gaborone where they expressed support for the workers' demand for a salary increment.

Because cooperation between government workers and opposition political parties in Botswana, is unprecedented, this newfound relationship has been greeted with scepticism from some quarters, especially the ruling party. In the past month, officials of the various opposition parties have addressed the striking workers where they went as far as campaigning for support from the workers to oust the ruling Botswana Democratic Party from power.

This has not gone down well with the BDP who were not only denied the opportunity to address the assembled workers, but were disparaged through song and speeches.  A prominent BDP activist was reportedly accosted at the workers' assembly point in Francistown recently.

At the time of going to press, it was not clear whether the rally would be preceded by a demonstration or not.  'We have applied for a march before the rally and are waiting for a reply from the police.

We are hopeful that the march will succeed but you will remember that last week the police refused to grant us permission for a similar request in Gaborone. I will be able to give you proper confirmation late in the afternoon,' said Raoboy Mpuang who was recently elected secretary for the joint opposition committee in Francistown.  Mpuang added that BOFEPUSU officials would be given the platform to address the rally.

Asked why MELS has not been invited, Mpuang said that invitations are handled at the highest level.  The BPP was, until recently, not part of the collective opposition effort.  Nor has the BPP nor MELS been given the opportunity to address BOFEPUSU members on strike.

Asked who qualifies to address the workers, the BOFEPUSU chairman of the Francistown region, Time Moupi said, 'Those who support our cause.' According to Moupi, speakers make it in front of the striking workers either by invitation or by volunteering to speak.